You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

is it possible that my 12 day old son favoring my left breas

Dear all,
My son recently enjoys and sucks my left breasts more than my right one.
When I place him and dock him to my right one he sucks couple of times than goes to idle than I pock him he sucks again than goes to sleep..
However with my left one he goes on and on..
I am not sure if the problem is the way i am positioning him or something else..
But I have the feeling that my right breast will not happy about not getting stimulated.
Any suggestions how I can make him get better with the right one again?
Thanks in advance!

Re: is it possible that my 12 day old son favoring my left b

Try starting him on the left and then moving him to the right without turning him over. Just shift him to the right with his body tucked under your right arm (this is called the football hold- see image below). Sometimes that can fool a baby into thinking they are on the preferred breast.

It is fairly common to have one breast be a 'better producer' than the other. You have a clever baby to have figured out which one so quickly.

“We are not put on earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you.”
--Anonymous

Re: is it possible that my 12 day old son favoring my left b

It's very common for babies to have a preference for one breast. Sometimes it has to do with flow speed- one breast may deliver more milk than the other, or may deliver a slower flow than the other. And sometimes it has to do with breast or nipple shape- one might be easier to latch onto than the other. And sometimes it has to do with positioning- babies often have a preferred nursing position, wanting to have one side up all the time. It may help to see if you can keep baby in the same position while switching breasts. That might trick him into thinking he has his favorite breast even when it's not.

Breast preference isn't a problem unless you start getting lopsided. If you do, then you may have to be much more proactive about offering the side the baby doesn't like as much, offering it first at most or even every feeding. You might also want to pump- but let's not go there now, when your baby is just 12 days old!

Re: is it possible that my 12 day old son favoring my left b

Dear all,
Trick worked. I am now able to make him suck my right breast from 5 mins to 10 mins during each nursing.
However, I have very little amount of milk on my right. I feel like in one day my right breast lost the enthusiasm of being sucked! My left breast is twice as big as right one literally! Now I am trying to make him suck and also pump my right.
Any ideas how I can make my breast come to peace?
Thanks in advance!

Re: is it possible that my 12 day old son favoring my left b

and the other thing is in the hospital the lactation consultant told me to breast feed the baby for 15 mins in each breast and than pump each breast 15 mins more in order to get all the milk out of my breast.
Is it OK to do?
Any other suggestions?
I will start working soon so I think I should pump but how frequent it should be?

Re: is it possible that my 12 day old son favoring my left b

This link covers lopsidedness and what to do about it: http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/lopsided/. Basically, you want to increase stimulation to and milk removal from the smaller breast by pumping it or offering it to the baby more often. That increase in stimulation and milk removal will signal the smaller breast to produce more milk.

Your LC's advice seems very suspicious to me. It is not recommended that moms limit a baby's time at the breast except in very special circumstances (for example, baby who is very premature or sick). And pumping during the first few weeks is best avoided, unless there is a problem with supply.

Re: is it possible that my 12 day old son favoring my left b

Yes I do not understand why you were told to pump after nursing sessions. This is an intervention that MAY be appropriate if there is some reason to think baby is unable to nurse effectively. (Is your baby tongue tied, do you need a nipple sheild to nurse, Is breastfeeding painful or uncomfortable for you, Was weight loss or gain after birth in question?)

And even if the suggested pumping is appropriate, limiting time at the breast is not usually helpful. And pumping this much, this early and limiting time at the breast can cause many problems.

If "emptying" the breast is the goal, (and it's not really, as our breasts are never truly empty,) then why not simply let baby nurse as long as baby wants?

Unless there is some concern like I have mentioned above, the best and easiest way to make sure your baby gets plenty of milk and your milk production grows as it should is to nurse on cue, at least 10-12 times a day or MORE, and to let baby nurse as long as baby wants. Baby may finish the side he starts on, then you can offer the other side. If baby does not want the other side right then, offer that other side the next time you nurse.

If baby is not nursing at least 10 times a day, gently encourage baby to nurse more often.